Originally Aired September 2004; Ferit Orhan Pamuk, or just Orhan Pamuk, won the Nobel prize for literature in 2006. He was born and still lives in Istanbul, though he has visited the U.S. and has taught at Columbia University. He is Turkey’s best-selling writer and the recipient of numerous prizes. Among his important works are My Name is Red; The Black Book; Snow; The White Castle; and Colors. He is a Muslim, though more in a cultural sense, and as a human rights activist has been outspoken about the Armenian genocide and also about Turkey’s treatment of the Kurds. Besides his huge writing talent and heart, Pamuk, at least in my opinion, is very funny.
